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Talk:Will Decker
Matt Decker This is a carryover from the Matt Decker discussion page. Unless someone has some resource citation, I propose that the explicit connection between Matt Decker and Will Decker be removed. I have reviewed the Star Trek II Writers/Directors Guide and the book Star Trek: Phase II - The Making of the Lost Series. The Guide says nothing explicit, just that Decker's forefathers were all Starfleet, some of flag rank. The book appears to say nothing about a connection except a comment from Jon Povill in a December 1, 1977 memo that "I thought it had been mentioned the Decker's father would be the Commodore Decker who died in the "Doomsday Machine" episode." A vague memory of a potential conversation about an abortive idea that never made it to any script or other production material does not a valid resource make. The information can be contained as non-canon commentary at the end as a sort of Background, but should not be in the body of the article. Unless someone has something better as a resource, I'll go ahead and make the change. Aholland 13:57, 24 February 2006 (UTC) :Good work incorporating the change, albeit minor. Good researching too, in recognizing that the writer's guide is an actual behind-the-scenes reference. I've gone a little further and included that Guide info in the article. -- Captain M.K.B. 23:36, 27 March 2006 (UTC) A good addition. Aholland 23:48, 27 March 2006 (UTC) :I've found a reference in The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture: a footnote to the character sketch that identifies the referenced father as Commodore Matt Decker. A footnote isn't a very convincing reference, but it's worth noting, so I've included a note in the article. --TommyRaiko 01:05, 14 July 2008 (UTC) Willard? So where does Willard come from? It's not from dialog, he was only referenced as "Will". --Alan 07:43, 13 June 2007 (UTC) :For what it's worth, The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture includes a footnote that the character's name was changed to Willard after a researcher discovered a Who's Who entry to a real-life New York businessman "William Decker." Which is interesting, but still not an on-screen reference, of course. --TommyRaiko 01:05, 14 July 2008 (UTC) ::Ok, so why is the article still named "Willard Decker" if there is no on screen source? General Grant On that note, I'm moving the page to the name used on screen "Will Decker". --Alan del Beccio (talk) 20:26, November 13, 2017 (UTC) :::The script says Willard, as does StarTrek.com. We have used script notes for full names on many articles. See section 71 of the shooting script. --- Jaz 03:18, November 14, 2017 (UTC) :::Here is the text from the script: at the middle of the power shaft. Very NOISY here, and a continual CACOPHONY of COMPUTERIZED AND HUMAN VOICES calling off equipment checks. And grouped around a section of burnt-out circuitry are WILLARD DECKER, Captain's stripes, handsome, in his early 30's; Scott, and two Technicians. Decker and Scott are working feverishly uncoupling the device, probing its innards. Decker has discovered the problem, removed several transistor-type parts, taps them with a pencil-sized sonic analyzer. :::--- Jaz 03:22, November 14, 2017 (UTC) Okay, it still doesn't supersede dialog. While there are probably examples contradicting this that still need to be addressed, the following is the practice we have attempted to veer towards: We only use script names when there are none spoken (eg "Thoris"). We don't use first names if only a surname was spoken (eg "Vincent DeSalle"). We use first names if they were given in the credits (eg "Jana Haines"). And in this case, which is none of the above, and only the name "Will" was spoken on screen, not "Willard", we favor the correct "Will Decker" link. In the end, the link for "Willard Decker" still exists, the background section can be supplemented as however is deemed fit, so ultimately, yeah, it is what it is. It's not as if the name "Willard" is being wiped from existence, the name of the page has simply been corrected to meet the most current, least conflicting naming standards. --Alan del Beccio (talk) 03:48, November 14, 2017 (UTC) Possible typo in quote "At the end, I did merge with V'ger and Ilia, but it didn't happen that way in the scenario and it was very disappoint to me" Is the lack of the "ing" in "disappointing" our mistake (which should be corrected) or an actual representation of the source (which would need a "sic"or changing to "disappointing" if it is not to be corrected). However, this kind of error in quotations is sometimes corrected without comment, depending on the standards being followed. --Khajidha (talk) 11:11, July 16, 2018 (UTC)